Thoughts on the Trade Deadline

The trade deadline's past, and now it's time to examine the impact.

First off, all that hubub of a slow deadline because of the economy proved for naught, it might have actually forced a few deals that might have otherwise not happened (Jake Peavy? Word is that the Padres had to move some salary, and Peavy was the only significant money with value).

Second, it felt as if everyone undersold their biggest assets. The biggest crimes were that Victor Martinez and Cliff Lee were both stolen from the Indians for not much at all. Unless you're one of those people who think that the 4th through 7th ranked prospects of the Phillies are all going to be All Stars. (If you believe the hype of some of these analysts, the Phillies have 7 guys who would be the best, or at worst, 2nd best, prospects in any teams minor league systems). Boston has similar hype, as Bucholz, Masteron, Bowden, and Hagadone are all called future aces by various analysts. Really? Victor Martinez is consistently one of the best catchers in baseball, and he got sold for $.75 on the dollar.

Thirdly, all the bad contracts that had any value (Washburn, Rolen, etc) also moved, so those type of guys aren't moving in August (although some bad contract will undoubtedly move). So this idea that Brian Cashman and a few others mentioned of the month as not actually a trade deadline may prove false also.